Blurs

For more than a century, cameras have been relatively easy to recognise. A CCTV camera hangs from a ceiling. A photographer raises a camera to their eye. A smartphone is held in front of someone's face. Artificial intelligence is beginning to change that. A new generation of AI-powered glasses can contain miniature cameras, microphones, speakers and increasingly sophisticated software while looking remarkably similar to ordinary spectacles. The wearer can photograph or record what is happening around them without necessarily reaching for a phone. That creates a new and uncomfortable question: What happens to public privacy when the camera becomes almost invisible? A camera disguised as ordinary eyewear AI glasses are not simply cameras mounted onto spectacles. Modern devices can combine cameras and microphones with an AI assistant capable of interpreting what the wearer sees and hears. Depending on the device and software, this can include answering questions about objects, transla...

Can You Get X-Ray Specs? The Truth Behind One of Science Fiction's Oldest Gadgets The idea of owning a pair of x-ray specs has fascinated people for generations. Imagine slipping on a pair of ordinary-looking glasses and suddenly being able to see through walls, peek inside locked safes or view the skeleton beneath someone's skin. It's a concept that has appeared in comic books, films and science fiction for decades. But can you actually buy genuine x-ray glasses? Despite countless adverts over the years claiming to sell "real" x-ray specs, no pair of glasses exists that allows you to see through solid objects in the way portrayed in fiction. However, the story behind x-ray specs is surprisingly interesting, blending science, clever marketing and a healthy dose of imagination. Where Did X-Ray Specs Come From? X-ray specs became hugely popular during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Advertised in comic books, magazines and novelty catalogues, they promised incredible abilit...